Opera 9: Widgets are the new Web

The browser company believes its Widgets, supported in Opera version 9, are a taste of how Web development will be conducted in the future

Opera released version 9 of its browser on Tuesday, adding native BitTorrent support and small Web applications called Widgets. First announced in beta in April, Opera 9 is the latest step in the company’s efforts to make its browser a platform for development as well as a productivity tool.

Widgets are based on standard Web technologies including CSS and JavaScript, but don’t always qualify as AJAX in the strictest sense, since they may not be communicating with a remote server. In Opera’s guidelines to Widget developers they recommend you make your code capable of working while disconnected from the network.

Opera’s approach differs from that of the Mozilla project, which uses XUL, its own UI markup language, to create extensions to its browsers. The company says the advantage of its standards-based approach is that you don’t need to learn new technologies to create Widgets. Geir Pedersen, Web applications manager for Opera, told Builder UK that “Web developers can reuse their existing skill sets, and even designers can create Widgets based on what they already know.”

Full article: uk.builder.com

Advantages (Pros)

• Fast performance
• Secure browsing
• Good extension support
• Regular updates
• Cross-platform compatibility

Disadvantages (Cons)

• Memory usage
• Feature complexity
• Privacy concerns

Alternatives

Consider Firefox for privacy, Chrome for compatibility, or Safari for Mac integration.